The invention involves a gold electroplating procedure and apparatus.
Electrochemical processing procedures are extensively used in modern technology particularly in circuit fabrication and manufacture of electrical devices such as connectors, relay contacts, switch contacts, etc. Bulk processing procedures are often used and usually yield good results. It is desirable to improve these procedures in various ways. More rapid processing is highly desirable for economic reasons, particularly for high volume items. More exact control of the electrochemical process is highly desirable to reduce the number of rejected components and to insure high reliability and long life. Reduced volume of various bath solutions reduces costs of the process.
These considerations are especially true for gold electroplating procedures and apparatus for making high-volume items like pins for connectors. Because high reliability is important, desirable and reduced usage of gold can lead to large savings.
A continuous electrochemical processing apparatus is described by D. E. Koontz and D. R. Turner in U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,523 issued May 8, 1979. It pertains principally to an electrochemical polishing cell useful in a continuous electrochemical processing apparatus.